


while I breathe, I hope

by Anonymous



Series: to infinity and beyond [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Donghyuck is a scientist, Jeno is still a musician, M/M, Mark is a CEO of an entertainment company, Romance, Sci-Fi, Some angst, but he's a famous musician now, but this has a happy ending don't worry, other NCT members appear but their roles are minor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 01:09:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8080855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Five years later, Jaemin returns. But he isn't the same, and he only knows Donghyuck.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on my soulmate!au fic but I keep getting stuck near the end. So I'm posting this first. This is a sequel to 'a letter from a certain astronaut' and part two of my 'to infinity and beyond' trilogy. This has a lighter and happier ending compared to the first story, but it has some angst (I can't seem to write a story without the tiniest amount of angst lol).
> 
> This is unbeta-read so sorry for the grammar mistakes, but I hope you enjoy. There's still a part 3 after this!

 

Mark stares at his best friend before sighing loudly. It's been eight years - eight since they last had contact with _him_ and five since the news confirmed their suspicions. He knows it's hard, but he thinks Jeno needs to learn to move on. To keep moving forward, because there's more to life than tragedy. _We only live for so long that we shouldn't focus on the sad things. I know_ he _wouldn't want us to cry._ He _would want us to laugh and smile, to live for_ him...

If only Jeno wasn't so stubborn.

In his defense, Jeno did try to move on. But there's still a part of him that just can't stop hoping. And there lies the problem. He can't stop this niggling feeling that somewhere... somehow _he_ is still alive and therefore can't stop hoping that maybe, _just_ maybe, _he_ is.

But Mark is also stubborn, probably even more so than Jeno.

"All right. I've had enough of your moping." The older of the two announces from the doorway, surprising Jeno, who was busy staring blankly at the piano, fingers flittering lightly over the keys. "We're going on a month-long vacation."

"Huh? Where are we going?" Jeno asks, frowning after the words sink in. He looks up at Mark when the other nears him.

"To Jeju. It's been a while since we last visited Donghyuck-ah, and you two seriously need to get out more."

The musician's frown deepens, "... But I'm busy."

"Didn't look like it when I came in." Mark starts, fixing the younger with a serious look. "Taeil hyung also told me that you asked for a vacation after your concert tour. You just finished said concert tour so I'm assuming you're free now. And it looks like I'm right."

"Jeno, you're not invincible. It's okay to take breaks every once in a while." He continues, serious look melting into one of fondness as he places his hands on the other's shoulders, giving a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

Jeno sighs, but he gives Mark a small smile of thanks. "... Fine, I'll go with you."

Mark returns the smile with one of his own. "Good. We leave on Friday. I'll pick you up at eight."

 

\-----

 

To say Jeno wasn't thankful he had a best friend like Mark is a lie. Sure, the other could be really annoying sometimes, especially when he nags, but he knows it's only for his own good. If it wasn't for Mark visiting him everyday for the last five years since the news broke out, regardless of his hectic schedules as NCT Entertainment's CEO, Jeno was sure he would have lost it a long time ago. Their other friends do visit, yes, but not to the same extent as the young company head. He doesn't hold it against the others of course, because he knows they all lead very different lives and professions.

So it comes as a surprise to see all seven of their friends, bar Donghyuck, inside the van Mark rented. Jaehyun, Sicheng, and Kun were all seated at the back; Jisung, Renjun, and Chenle at the middle; Mark at the passenger's seat, and Taeil in the driver's seat. All of them were really loud, laughing, when Jeno opened the door.

"So nice of you to finally join us, Jeno-ah." Jaehyun says from his spot at the back, near the window while Renjun, ever the angel that he is, smiles and helps him into the van. The others snort at the statement, making Jeno pout as he buckles his seatbelt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

It's Chenle who answers, "It means that we miss you." And it takes a minute for Jeno to realize the younger spoke in fluent Korean and not his usual mix of Mandarin, Korean, and English. It takes another minute for him to realize just how much he missed in his near decade of semi-isolation, and it would be a lie if he says he doesn't feel even the slightest bit of guilt.

Mark, sensing the mood dropping down, decides to give an awkward laugh, "Okaaaaay, I think everyone's all buckled up and ready to go to Jeju, so let's go Taeil hyung! Hahaha..."

Taeil, thankfully, gets the message. He pulls out of the driveway and onto the busy streets of Seoul, singing to obnoxious tunes coming out of the radio. It doesn't take long for the others in the van to join in, the mood lifting up again.

 

\-----

 

It took about four hours for them to reach Jeju via the SeaWorld Express, and about fifteen minutes from the port to Jeju City. By the time they reached their lodgings, which was a villa Mark rented at the Lotte Jeju Resort, it was already lunch time and the group had decided to just visit Donghyuck the next day in favor of unpacking and some sightseeing.

"Ahhh... I'm really hungry." Jaehyun says as soon as he climbs out of the van, stretching. "Can't we eat now and then unpack later?" He whines, Sicheng nodding vigorously in the background.

Taeil frowns at them from behind the van where the others were getting their luggage. "We can, but then you'll complain about being too tired to move later. So no. Unpack now and then we can go out and eat." He says as he hands the two their own luggage.

Jaehyun grumbles something under his breath, but nonetheless complies. He drags a pouting Sicheng inside the two-story villa with an amused-looking Kun trailing behind.

"I guess some things never change, huh?" Jisung shakes his head, "Sometimes I wonder if those two really are older than me."

They laugh heartily at that.

 

\-----

 

Jeno is the first to finish unpacking, followed by Kun, and then Sicheng. It doesn't take long for the others to go down to the living room as well. They argue about which place to eat but in the end they all choose to go to the nearby seafood restaurant, where Jaehyun and Sicheng proceed to order everything on the menu. As the food arrive one by one, the group decide on what to do after.

Seeing as they all want to visit different places, they agree to go by pairs (Mark and Jeno; Sicheng and Kun; Taeil and Jaehyun) and triads (Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung).

The Renjun, Chenle, Jisung group finish eating and leave first, since the place they wanted to visit was _Hallim Park_ , and it was already two in the afternoon. The park closes at five, so they only have three hours left.

The next group to leave is Sicheng and Kun's, and they decide to go to the _Green Tea Museum_ with promise of returning with tubs of the famous Green Tea ice cream.

Mark, Jeno, Taeil, and Jaehyun all finish and leave together, considering the places they chose to explore were just across each other. The two groups part ways at the entrance of the restaurant - Jaehyun and Taeil going to _Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum and Collection of Oddities_ , and Mark and Jeno going to the _Teddy Bear Museum_.

 

\-----

 

As Jeno wanders the History Hall of the museum, smiling softly at the adorable fluffy bears behind the glass, Mark excuses himself to go to the restrooms. The raven mindlessly mumbles a reply. He's too distracted by the cute little things that he doesn't notice someone in front of him. He bumps into the person, snapping himself out of his trance. He's about to apologize when the stranger speaks, and Jeno freezes because _that voice is really familiar_.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Jeno looks up, blinking. He must be dreaming. Yep, he definitely _must_ be dreaming.

Because the stranger in front of him isn't really a stranger.

"Are you okay?" The brunet in front of him asks, concern written all over his face when all he receives is a blank stare. Jeno opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off as a new voice joins them.

"Jaemin?"

 

**Author's Note:**

> Dundunduuuuuuun!  
> Thank you for reading!  
> I know this chapter is short. The next one will be longer ^w^ And somewhat angsty. But like I said, this will have a happy ending~ Hopefully...


End file.
